Whos guilty?

The decision the six jurors reached in the George Zimmerman trial would inspire anger,frustration,and despair,but little surprise,writes Jelani Cobb. From the outset8230;there was a nagging suspicion that it would culminate in disappointment. Call this historical profiling, writes Cobb. The most damning element here is not that George Zimmerman was not found guilty,its the bitter knowledge that Trayvon Martin was found guilty8230;that he had done something to cause his own death. The defence attorney,during his post-verdict press conference,had said that were his client George Zimmerman black,he would never have been charged. Cobb calls it a simplistic and obtuse argument. The added quotient of outrage in cases like this one stems from the knowledge that race determines whether fear,history,and public sentiment offer that killer a usable alibi.

Forbes.com

A boy8230;or a girl?

While British royalty enthusiasts wait eagerly for the impending birth of Prince William and Kate Middletons first-born,this child will be the first ever to become rightful heir to the British throne totally regardless of gender, writes Kathryn Dill. Thats because the new Succession to the Crown Act has cast aside the law of male primogeniture,which had for centuries decreed that the heir to the British crown had to be male. Though male primogeniture is still very much in practice among the British aristocracy8230;the British people seem to feel right at home with women at the royal helm, writes Dill.

THE GUARDIAN

Are we the champions?

Andy Murray could soon be ranked the worlds No 1 tennis player. Chris Froome is dominating the Tour de France even more than Bradley Wiggins did last summer. The British amp; Irish Lions beat Australia in rugby. The England cricket team is expected to do the same in the Ashes. At the Olympics last year,Great Britain finished third on the medals tally. To put it another way: is there any country on earth that is right now,pound for pound,better at sport than Britain? asks Tim Lewis. But,he says,the evidence is that Britain is struggling to come to terms with this success. Lewis goes on to ask: How,then,should we react to our newfound status as overdogs? One precedent is Australia,the most recent holder of the title,which I may or may not have invented,of Pound for Pound Dominant Sporting Nation on the planet. We can allow our success to define us. Sport can become our thing.